Iain's 20XE Trackday Nova

[Scottcooper85]

Looks great, really enjoyed your build thread recently.

need to get my carbs fitted but might leave them while winter, I hope my alternator bracket works now another thing I'm now worried about is fitting a filter in as I have the firewall in still and space looks tight.

cant wait to watch/hear a video of you rattle it around blyton

[Iain]

Thanks, been doing some interesting stuff recently out my comfort zone which is nice.... Coming up soon, window nets and rear window vents for trackday driver temperature control!

I don't know where my rollcage bar sits in relation to the firewall but I have plenty of room happily.

At Donington first in April, but no doubt be at Blyton at some point in the year.

[8valve-craig]

Blyton 10th May.

[ben doodar]

Great work Iain bet you can't wait to feel the difference in the performance.

Cracking progress mate, its inspiring to read others peoples projects threads.

[Benn]

Love what you've done. LIfeline fire thing looks great. Very good safty add on.

Your alt bracket. i'd move the ground off the bolt in to the head, i dont think it gives enough of a ground. Which is why mine caught fire i think.

Love the rose joints tho.

[TOZNOVA81]

Looking good mate :D

[Gibbo]

looking good mate . were do you plum up the vacuum takeoff for the brake servo.

[Iain]

Benn I think I'll leave it on the top, only because I had a solid alternator bracket on my 1.6 and it sheared off, so don't want to give it any opportunity to 'rock' on the bolt.

Gibbo the vacuum is on a purpose welded union on the Bogg Bros manifold coming off #1.

Well lots happened over Easter weekend, got the carbs and ignition set up on the rollers on Good Friday:



Unfortunately it was making really poor power and he wasn't sure why. We ended up reverting the cam timing I'd done for a small increase, so I must have ballsed that up. It was still making poor power though.

Half way through the setup it started running on three and found a completely burnt out spark plug:



However that was that, it was safe fueling and ignition so I drove it home.

Took it for a spin on Sunday and it started running on three again, towed it home and pulled the plugs and found one of the plug gaps had totally closed up (#1):



Hmmm something funny going on... Fitted some new plugs and still sounded like crap, so maybe it's time for a compression test... Had poor compression on all cylinders and none on #1, great. Maybe it's just the headgasket though?



Off came the head this evening:



Looks like it's been leaking between #2 and #3, but not the obvious leak to the oilway on #1 like I'd hoped for:



...Oh, maybe this relatively minor piston damage could be to blame then!







#1 and #2 are missing a chunk each, #3 is undamaged and #4 is missing two chunks.

I can only assume I've knackered up the cam timing and it's been touching the piston slightly at high RPM. Properly ruined the pistons. Head on initial visual inspection doesn't look damaged but I'll investigate further, may be the difference between a new bottom end or new tall engine, as I'm not sure I can be arsed to get it honed and bed in some new rings.

[brucer]

Jesus iain! Thats a shxtter!

Good lad for cracking on though

[bazzap8389]

Gutted to hear about your misfortunes this weekend mate! Hopefully you get it sorted it problem free.